Tag archive: Lachesis

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Summer of ’69, Part II: Chappaquiddick

In mid-July of 1969, as all eyes were riveted skyward on the Apollo 11 mission to land a man on the moon, a rather more tawdry drama was playing out here on planet Earth. Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, brother of slain American president John F. Kennedy and slain presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, became embroiled in a personal tragedy that would ultimately set the seal on the demise of his family’s aspirations to become a political dynasty.

 

On the night of July 18-19, 1969, under circumstances still not fully understood to this day, Kennedy was involved in a fatal crash of his car off the Dike Bridge on Chappaquiddick Island in Martha’s Vineyard, which took the life of 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne.  

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Texas Drowning Sparks Outrage

The plight of Central American immigrants was spotlighted again the week of June 23rd, 2019, as horrific conditions for some 300 migrant children at a Texas detention camp were exposed, followed by the intense, heart-wrenching images of a young father and his 23-month-old daughter, both drowned while attempting to swim the Rio Grande, their bodies still clinging to one another.

 

The week before, a team of lawyers and doctors visiting the Border Control facility in Clint, Texas, reported appalling conditions for the children detained there, separated from family members, including untreated outbreaks of flu and lice. Inadequate sanitation was a major issue, with children going without showers for weeks, a lack of soap and toothbrushes, living in soiled or filthy garments, toddlers without diapers, cared for by older children. Following the public outcry, the administration moved the children from the facility temporarily on Monday, but was forced to return more than 100 a few days later, citing lack of space elsewhere.

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Cruel Britannia: Theresa May’s PMexit

On May 24th, 2019, UK PM Theresa May made a tearful departure from the political scene, as she announced her resignation in the wake of the collapse of the disastrous Brexit negotiations to withdraw Britain from the EU. The move was not unexpected, as May had intimated as much, should the third vote on a dissolution proposal fail in Parliament, which it did in late March. At that time the European Union gave Britain a further seven months to craft a deal suitable to all parties, but having failed at each successive attempt over the prior three years, May felt new leadership was required to resolve the impasse.

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Trump Entrenched: Troemper Turns Retro

On Wednesday, May 22nd, a White House meeting on proposed infrastructure legislation between Democratic leadership and Donald Trump imploded in under five minutes when the President berated Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, taking them to task about ongoing congressional investigations into his conduct, motivations and finances. Trump threatened a total lack of legislative action so long as the investigations continue, then proceeded to the Rose Garden for an open-air airing of his grievances before the Press.

 

The President’s latest meltdown in an ongoing series was well timed celestially, as the 22nd was the very day that his cosmic referent, asteroid Troemper, came to its station, turning retrograde in the company of Saturn and Pluto, a combination focused on exacting punishments and penalties (Saturn) for criminal acts (Pluto). Adding fuel to the fire was Troemper’s exact conjunction with the USA’s natal Pluto at 27 Capricorn, highlighting the fast-developing power struggle between the executive and legislative branches, as Trump attempts to stonewall Congress by ignoring or undermining their legitimate oversight role, constitutionally mandated.

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RIP Grumpy Cat

Early on Friday, May 17th 2019, the sad news came of the death of Internet feline sensation Grumpy Cat, just seven years old. The Greats always go in threes, and Grumpy Cat was preceded into eternity that week by singer/actress Doris Day and comedian Tim Conway. Grumpy, whose given name was Tarder Sauce, actually passed on the 14th, following complications from a UTI infection. One of the most photographed felines in history, Grumpy Cat had 1.4 million Twitter followers, countless internet memes and merchandise, and a loyal fan base who will mourn her passing.

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Aster-Obit: Doris Day

On Monday, 13 May 2019, singer and actress Doris Day passed away at the age of 97, after a bout with pneumonia. The popular songstress, an icon of feminine chastity and purity in the 1950s and ‘60s, was also a passionate animal rights advocate and activist, as well as a vegetarian, walking her talk.

 

Once the toast of Hollywood, one of only eight performers to be top box office earner in four years over the life of her career, Day’s films evoked a simpler, carefree era. Her sunny-yet-feisty, can-do, smoldering virgin persona eventually fell out of favor with audiences, but her films were box office gold for over a decade. Teaming with Rock Hudson in such popular successes as “Pillow Talk”, “Lover Come Back” and “Send Me No Flowers”, Day also starred opposite such Hollywood royalty as Cary Grant, David Niven and Jimmy Stewart.

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